Sonny's Second Chance
by GoddessoftheImaginary
Summary: After her career with So Random comes to an end, Sonny Munroe moves on to bigger and better things. The most exciting, of course, being a new comedic romance movie that she's the lead in! But could the re-appearance of a certain ex-boyfriend mean nothing to her, or will it ruin her entire experience? We'll just see.
1. Second Chances

A/N: I decided to start a fanfic about Sonny after the show. Tell me what you think, and if you'd like to see more of the story.

**Dislcaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Sonny With A Chance.**

The So Random fanbase was a loyal group. However, as Mr. Condor's ambitions grew, the small group of fans just wasn't enough to grant Marshall another season. But the cast took it well. Tawny, of course, was devastated, but quickly moved on. She got picked up at a modeling agency, and, well, she took to that quite quickly. Nico and Grady went on to establish their own live act of stand-up comedy, in the theme of Abbot and Costello. And Zora started her blooming career after So Random with a main role in a horror/thriller picture, which she loved. She'd go on to do just fine.

For one Sonny Munroe, however, the transition wasn't as easy. At first, she'd just wanted to move back to Wisconsin with her mother. But, as she'd discovered with So Random, she loved acting and couldn't leave it behind. So, audition after audition, rejection after rejection, Sonny persisted. She was a new face in Hollywood, and that wasn't easy, but she'd kept persisting. On one such afternoon, the girl collapsed on her apartment couch after a long and tiring audition for yet another television show. Did they have to do such exhausting dance routines? Sure, Sonny could keep up, but it was no mean feat.

"I'm home," Sonny called, in the strongest voice she could muster. It ended up being no louder than a small dog's bark, but it echoed well enough for the girl's mother to hear.

"Welcome home, sweetheart," a beaming, black haired woman entered the room. "How did the audition go?"

"I don't think I'm going to make it in," Sonny admitted. "Most of the girls there were better dancers than me, and I don't think any of them are exhausted after the routines they put us through."

"Well," her mother frowned, "don't count your chickens before they've hatched. You don't know what you'll get."

"Mom, it's been a month since So Random ended, and I still haven't gotten anything." Sonny pushed herself up, looking to her mother. "I don't want to say this, but I think it's time we moved back to Wisconsin."

Her mother pursed her lips. "Are there any acting opportunities in Wisconsin?"

"There's school plays," Sonny tried.

"Opportunities that you'd love to get?" Her mother revised.

Sonny sighed. "I don't know what to do, mom. If I don't get anything within this week, we ought to move back."

"Just keep trying. Do you know how many times Walt Disney's ideas got rejected? And look what happened to him," her mother encouraged.

"Yeah, but he's Walt Disney." Sonny closed her eyes, leaning back against the couch.

"And you're Sonny Munroe. A Munroe never quits, remember?" Her mother put her hands on her hips, as Sonny opened her eyes and smiled a tiny bit.

"Yeah, I remember," said Sonny. She would have said more, were it not for the telephone ringing and interrupting both mother and daughter's trains of thought.

"I'll get it," sighed mom. "It's probably that ripoff mechanic, telling me my car's got ten different parts I never heard of that need replacing."

With that, Mrs. Munroe walked out of the room, and Sonny closed her eyes again. She wanted nothing more right then than to sleep, but her mother's voice carried quite a bit. So instead, she listened to the half of the conversation that she could hear.

"Munroe residence, Connie speaking," said the woman. A moment of her silence came after, followed by, "Yes, may I ask what this is about?" Then there was a long pause, which piqued Sonny's curiosity and she sat up, eyes opening and following to where the kitchen doorway was. "Of- of course. Just a minute, please."

Connie Munroe hurried back into the room, eyes wide, and pressed the phone straight into Sonny's hand. "What is it?" mouthed the girl, to which her mother simply shook her head and put her hand to her ear, looking at the phone then Sonny.

Bewildered, Sonny lifted the phone. "Hello?"

On the other end of the phone, a bubbly male voice spoke. "Hi, is this Sonny?"

"This is she," replied the girl. "To whom am I speaking?"

"This is Wyatt McDonald, producer of the upcoming romantic comedy, Smooth Move. Listen, we loved your audition last week, and we'd like to cast you for Gigi."

Sonny drew in a sharp breath. "Are you serious?"

There was a laugh on the other end of the phone. "Of course I'm serious. You're perfect for the lead, and the director agrees with me. We'll see you Monday, okay? Seven A.M."

"Thank you, thank you so much!" It was all Sonny could do to contain her excitement until Wyatt McDonald hung up the phone. At the dial tone, Sonny let out a shriek and dropped the phone. She hadn't been this excited since she'd been cast for So Random, her favorite television show.

"What, what is it?" Her mother clamored.

"I got a lead, I got a lead!" Sonny repeated the chant in a sing-song voice, grabbing her mother's wrists and leading her in an impromptu dance around the room. Both mother and daughter laughed and tumbled into the couch after completing a full circle.

"I'm so happy for you, sweetheart, I knew you could do it!" cried her mother, grinning like an idiot. It was no worse than Sonny's grin, which seemed it could never be wiped away.

As the prospect of a new filming experience sunk in, Sonny couldn't stay calm for the rest of the evening. Nothing would get in her way now. Sonny Munroe wouldn't quit. She would show the rest of the world she was in this to win it.


	2. Another Encounter

"Okay, okay, let's calm down for a minute here." On the eve of the blooming actress's first day, Sonny and her mother couldn't quite bring the high energy levels down to a norm. They'd been giggling, skipping around the apartment and expressing their jubilation in general. It wasn't a bad thing, certainly, but Connie had begun to tame the excitement.

"Got your script piece they sent you?" asked Connie, to which Sonny nodded. "Got your rehearsal schedule?" Again, Sonny nodded. "Got your lunch packed for tomorrow?"

Sonny rolled her eyes. "Mom!"

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry! It's just…" Connie let out a huff, then grinned, "exciting!"

Sonny smiled. "I know. This could be my next big break. I mean, they liked my samples from So Random. Wyatt said I've got the humor and characterization nailed. And this is more than a comedy sketch show," she added. "This is a movie. That I'm starring in."

"You just need to get along with your co-stars," warned Connie. "So Random, it was different. You were the new girl, and everyone else was already a star. Now you're on the same level as them. I just don't want you getting a big head about this, okay?"

"Of course I won't," Sonny assured her mother. "I'm sure I'll love my co-stars. And I don't doubt that they'll have at least as much, if not more experience than me."

Connie smiled. "But don't shrink yourself, either," she told her daughter. "You are a wonderfully talented girl. I'm proud of you, you know that?"

Sonny mirrored her mother's smile, pulling her into a tight hug. "Love you, mom."

"I love you too, sweetheart," said her mother. "Go to bed, okay? You'll want to be well rested for tomorrow."

"Yeah, okay." Sonny nodded, withdrawing from her mother.

In truth, Sonny knew she would hardly sleep a wink. She slipped into her bedroom, telling herself she wouldn't read through the script and summary a million times, but she knew that wasn't quite the truth. Sonny laid the documents that Wyatt had emailed her down on her pillow, flopping down on her bed and propping her head between her elbows.

**_Smooth Move: A romantic comedy_**

Eighteen year old Gigi Brown is the eye candy of every guy on campus at Fallcrest Academy. With her charm, good looks, and even pleasant-to-be-around composure, it's no wonder everyone at the small high school is falling for this senior. And hope springs eternal in the minds of young freshmen, as Gigi has remained without a boyfriend for six months. To her dismay, however, none of the possible male counterparts measure up to her ideal boyfriend. But all that may change when the fresh face of Spencer Fitch moves in, and like the rest, falls head over heels for Gigi. Will Spencer have the right words and the smooth moves to capture Gigi's special attention? Come and see for yourself.

This wouldn't be too bad. From the script, Sonny got the sense that Gigi was the sort of girl who was determined, ambitious, and never a quitter. Sonny could do that. She'd certainly worked hard enough to get this role, and she wouldn't quit, no matter the challenges that came in her way. No one was going to beat her, not when she was at the top of her game.

_Go to sleep, Sonny,_ she chided, re-reading the summary. She repeated this mental admonition over and over again, as she peeled away page after page. First the summary, then each page of the script, and then repeating the process. How could anyone sleep, the night before such an exciting event? Though, eventually, and only to humor the reasonable voice in her head, Sonny lay the pages down on her nightstand and flipped the light off.

And she did get to sleep, eventually. After what seemed like hours of trying to quiet her mind and calm her breathing, Sonny finally slipped away into a dream-filled sleep. Her dreams entertained the thoughts she had somehow neglected while conscious. Who her co-stars would be, what the love interest would be like, and more unanswered questions slipped in and out of Sonny's unconscious mind. Her subconscious slipped many faces into the dreams, masquerading as her co-stars, some of which she knew and some she didn't. All of the dreams, though, were quite fascinating and filled with adventures. The next morning, though, when her mother came to wake her up, Sonny could hardly remember a piece of them.

"Wake up, sweety, it's time to get going," called her mother, tugging Sonny out of her sleep.

Sonny groaned into her pillow. Mornings were never her favorite, and even today was no exception. "Five more minutes?" she tried.

Connie rolled her eyes, walking over to the foot of the bed and taking hold of the blanket and sheets enveloping her daughter. With one hard _yank_, the girl's nest disappeared from above her, and Sonny yelped from the sudden cold that now hugged her, tucking herself into a ball. "Moooooom!" she drew out the word.

Connie chuckled. "You'll thank me later. Get up!"

Sonny let out a long, melodramatic sigh. "Fine, I'm up," she said, though more to convince herself than to satisfy her mother. She pushed her arms against the mattress of her bed, slowly but surely inching herself up and off of her night time sanctuary. Connie had left the room by the time Sonny had left the bed, and so the girl closed her door once again and dressed for the day. A yellow lace blouse over a white tank top, a pair of skinny jeans and brown cowboy boots adorned the girl that morning, along with a passing glance but ultimately declination of jewelry other than a pair of yellow feather earrings.

After deeming that her appearance was presentable to the outside world, Sonny grabbed the documents from her dresser and then meandered to the breakfast table. Her mother set down a plate of scrambled eggs and an English muffin before Sonny, laying down a fork beside it. "Eat," Connie told her daughter. "You'll need your energy. Do you want some jam?"

Sonny shook her head. "Thanks, though."

After a hurried breakfast and a tight but brief hug with her mother, Sonny rushed out the door and to her car. It was easy enough to get to the studio, but it did take a solid twenty minutes, and that wasn't accounting for rush hour. So Sonny had to make sure she left in plenty of time to get to the studio before seven A.M., when Wyatt and the director would be expecting her. Even though she had the role, she still wanted to make a good impression. She needed to be dependable, and she certainly didn't want anyone to regret casting her for the lead.

Parking was its own separate challenge, but due to arriving a good half hour early, Sonny wasn't too concerned. If she had to walk a bit, she had to walk a bit. That was alright. By the time she arrived at the actual meeting place, she was still a decent five minutes earlier than she needed to be.

"Sonny, dear, how are you?" Wyatt, a tall man with slicked back black hair, strode up to her and grasped her hand.

Sonny smiled. "I'm pretty great. And you?"

"Oh, I'm fantastic." Wyatt grinned. "You know our director, of course, Jack Forth." He let her hand go, gesturing to a shorter man wearing a smile and a fedora over his brown hair.

"Yes, of course, it's so good to see you." Sonny beamed.

"So, the agenda today will go something as follows," began Jack. "Once everyone is here, you'll all have around ten minutes to meet and get familiar with each other. You'll be working with these people for the next year or so, you'll want to be on good terms with them. After that, we're going to hit the ground running and start off with some cold reads, a few run-throughs of the first few scenes, and since it's the first day you'll have some time to memorize. Mmkay?"

Sonny nodded. "Sounds great. I can't wait to get started." She grinned.

"That's the spirit," Jack chided. He then looked behind Sonny, something seeming to catch his eye, then exclaimed, "Ah, Chad! My man!"

Sonny's heart stopped. Chad? It couldn't be. It wasn't who she was thinking of, right? _Please don't be him…_ Sonny repeated mentally. She didn't want to turn around, though, in case it was him. But it was agony, not knowing, and finally, she forced herself to turn on her heel. There was no mistaking it. The young man shaking Jack's hand glanced his startlingly blue eyes towards Sonny, and stuck there. Chad Dylan Cooper was once again beholding the figure of Sonny Munroe, whose feet were still frozen to the ground and mouth half open in a stunned silence.


	3. Findings and Friend-Making

Before Chad, or anyone really, could speak, Sonny mumbled a hasty apology and something about going to get a drink. She didn't remember even in the moment, to be honest, what exactly she uttered as she hurried away. The girl pushed locks of stray hair from her face, taking every ounce of self control she had not to break into a dead run to distance herself from Chad.

It had to be him, didn't it? Chad Dylan Cooper had to be here, going to work with Sonny. She had a cast list, didn't she? Why didn't she comb through it meticulously the moment she got it? It had come attached to the piece of the script she was given. So why hadn't she carefully studied it to assure that Chad was nowhere to be found on the list?

_Oh god, what if he's Spencer?_ The terrifying thought crossed Sonny's head as she burst into an empty room, slamming her palms to the opposite side of the door and thrusting it shut. If he was playing the role of Spencer… Sonny didn't know if she could continue with this, playing out her role. Spencer and Gigi, she knew, were together by the end of the film.

She sunk down to her knees, back leaning against the door, and squeezed her eyes closed. Chad was here, a little under two years after their breakup. The breakup that, until mere minutes ago, Sonny believed she had healed from. But then again, she hadn't really talked to him since a few weeks after they had broken up. She hadn't particularly acknowledged his existence after their breakup, while So Random was still together and Mackenzie Falls was going strong as ever.

Mackenzie Falls! Why wasn't Chad there? _He can't be a lead role_, Sonny assured herself, breathing starting to steady. _He's the main character of Mackenzie Falls! No one can handle a lead role in a movie and the main character of a huge television series. Not even Chad Dylan Cooper._ Sonny sucked in a deep breath, then slowly hissed it out, repeating these assurances under her breath. Her heart rate began to fall down to a natural, normal rate once again, as her eyes slid shut for a brief moment. It was okay. He wasn't Spencer, and if she was lucky, she wouldn't have to spend all that much time around him. It would be okay, Sonny convinced herself. It was going to be okay.

After repeating these assurances for a minute or so, Sonny let her eyes open and rose onto her feet. She hesitated when laying her hand on the door handle, but ultimately decided she had to leave now, and go back to the set. So, stealing one last deep breath from the room, she tugged the door open and pushed herself out.

When she arrived back on the set, mercifully, she was met by neither Chad, Jack or Wyatt. Instead, Sonny all but ran in into one of the female roles. She came to a dead stop right after stepping on the girl's toes, then cringed and stepped back.

"Sorry, I—I didn't mean to—" Sonny blustered, but the girl laughed.

"Don't worry about it," she said, brushing honey blonde curls away from her face. "I'm Lacey. What's your name?"

Sonny smiled a little. "I'm Sonny. Who do you play?"

"I'm Sammie, Spencer's little sister. You?" Lacey grinned.

"I'm, uh, Gigi." Sonny dipped her head in a single nod, and Lacey squealed a little.

"Eek! You're the star! That's so awesome!" Lacey giggled. "Sorry, this is my first movie, if it isn't really obvious already."

"No, no, you're good," Sonny assured the girl, smiling. "It's mine, too. We can be newbies together."

Lacey chuckled, grinning. "Awesome. That sounds great. Have you had any experience in show biz before?"

"I have." Sonny nodded. "I was on So Random for a few years, but that got cancelled about a month ago." Sonny's face fell a little at the reminder.

"So Random? I loved that show!" exclaimed Lacey. "It's like, my favorite comedy ever! Why on earth did it get cancelled?"

Sonny shrugged. "We just didn't have enough fans for Mr. Condor, I guess," she said. "Mr. Condor owned the studio, and he got to pick up bigger and better shows. So he left So Random in the dust."

Lacey blew out a huff through her nostrils. "That's a bummer. Well, I guess it's just reruns for me now."

Sonny smiled. "I'm glad you like the show so much. Have you had any experience in show biz before this?"

"Just a little bit." Lacey shrugged. "I was an extra on this one show, Hey Junie, for a few episodes. I had a couple lines, but it was tough getting into here."

"So how'd you manage it?" asked Sonny, cocking her brow.

Lacey grinned. "My uncle is Jack Forth. So he tried not to pick favorites when he cast me, but he just knew me better, so I got the part."

Sonny smiled again. "That's awesome. I can't wait to start working with you!"

"Yeah, you too." Lacey nudged her shoulder, then bit her lip. "Sorry. I'm not uncomfortable with touching people. Just let me know if I'm pushing your personal bubble."

"I don't mind." Sonny shrugged. "We're both actors, by now we've got to get used to having a limited personal bubble."

Lacey chuckled. "Boy, isn't that the truth. Heaven knows you'll have to get comfortable with no bubble around Spencer. Although," she added, tipping Sonny a wink, "I wouldn't mind getting up close and personal to him. Chad Dylan Cooper is quite the hunk."


	4. Tales of Times Past

**A/N: First of all, thank you all for following the story to this point. It's amazing to see that so many people have read my writing. I'm always glad to hear when you're enjoying the fic. Now, here's where thinks get a bit hazy. When I first started writing this fanfic, I didn't think hardly anyone would read it, let alone enjoy it. So while I have the beginning and end plotted out, the middle is a little more uncertain. That said, updates may start being a lot less frequent, though I will certainly try to update at least once a week. Again, thank you all for your interest in the story!**

_So he is Spencer. Shit. _Sonny winced when the girl said that name, proceeding to purge the sour expression from her face as the girl looked back at her. "Oh, wow. He's playing Spencer?"

Lacey laughed. "Of course he is. He's an awesome actor, have you seen him on Mackenzie Falls?"

"Um… yeah." Sonny nodded, her voice high. "So, um, how did they get him on here?" She fiddled with a lock of her hair, glancing from Lacey to her fingers.

Lacey shrugged. "I dunno. From what my uncle told me, he just showed up and auditioned. And of course, they had to have him, and he played a pretty good Spencer anyways."

"That's weird, though," said Sonny, fighting to lower her voice down into a normal range. "Isn't he doing Mackenzie Falls still? I mean, he's a pretty important role."

Lacey frowned. "I hadn't thought about that. But you're right. I wonder how he's going to balance that." She glanced over. "Ooh, here's your chance to ask him yourself. He's coming this way!" She almost squealed, and would have, had her voice not been dropping in volume by the second.

Sonny's eyes widened. "Oh, no, that's alright, really, I-I—" she stammered, her voice faltering more by the second.

"Hey, Sonny."

Sonny cringed at Chad's voice right behind her. She dropped her hands to her side, turning around. "Hi, Chad," she said stiffly.

He was still as handsome as Sonny remembered him to be. His vivid blue eyes stared right into Sonny's, his hair cascading in golden blond locks around his face. The smile on his face evaporated when he caught sight of the stiffened, callous expression masking Sonny's wounded inner self. _God, Sonny, get the fuck over yourself. It's been two years_, snapped her inner voice. But she couldn't bring herself to smile, no matter how hard she might have tried.

"So… Um… It's been a while," Chad offered, after a long, agonizing moment of silence.

"Yeah—yeah, it has," Sonny forced out. "How… how've you been?"

"Fine," said Chad quickly. "You know me, always busy." He gave an awkward attempt at a chuckle.

"Yeah, um, speaking of busy," said Sonny, staring past him, "it looks like they're starting the first read-through. So we'd better get going."

Without even looking back to see if Chad was keeping up, Sonny hurried towards the rest of the cast, where they were gathered around Jack. She tried reminding herself not to run, and after she'd distanced herself a good fifteen yards from Chad, it mostly worked.

"What was _that_ about?"

Sonny turned, to see Lacey speed walking by her side. She shook her head. "Nothing."

Lacey raised her brow. "Didn't look like nothing to me. That was a little harsh. Was he rude to you?"

Sonny sighed. "It's complicated."

"Boy, am I familiar with that phrase," grumbled Lacey. "Can you summarize?"

Sonny hesitated. "I—I'll tell you at lunch, okay?"

Lacey frowned. "Alright…"

"Alright, everybody," called Jack, "Full cold read, starting with act one, scene one. Take a script and quiet down when you're not onstage."

**~Time Lapse~**

"And that's a wrap. Lunch time, everybody." Sonny walked off stage, laying her script down on the nearest table as Jack spoke. "Be back in an hour for memorization time."

There were a couple scripted kisses between Gigi and Spencer, but thank God, Jack hadn't made Sonny and Chad kiss. She couldn't have handled it. She would have walked off the stage and never come back, if she could help it. But, knowing where they were at now, Sonny knew that she would have to kiss Chad eventually. She just had to start preparing herself. She needed to separate Gigi from herself, and Spencer from Chad. Both pairs were two completely different people. They had to be.

Sonny migrated over to Lacey. "I'm not going to the cafeteria. You want to go see what we can find in a couple blocks?" she asked.

"Sure," shrugged Lacey. "You owe me a story, about earlier."

"Right," Sonny sighed. "In a minute."

She glanced over her shoulder. Chad was heading towards the cafeteria, like almost everyone else was doing. _He knows he's not going to get special treatment here, right?_ thought Sonny. _Although, he's Chad Dylan Cooper. He's certainly good enough at flattery… _She shook her head, dismissing the thought as she stepped outside. Lacey followed her out, bouncing behind on the balls of her feet.

"I'm pretty sure he can't here you now," said Lacey.  
"Yeah, alright." _Might as well get it out and over with. _"So back when I was on So Random, the cast of our two shows hated each other. There was a huge rivalry between So Random and Mackenzie Falls. They were the Drama Snobs, we were Chuckle City. That didn't really change when Chad and I started dating. Looking back, I don't…" Sonny looked down. "I don't really know why I didn't see our end coming. We broke up about six months after we got together. It just… wasn't going to work out."

"Why'd you break up?" asked Lacey, furrowing her brow.

"It was a lot of things, one thing after another." Once she'd started talking about it, it was like a dam burst and the whole story was flooding out. "Our relationship was under a lot of stress when So Random won the Tween Choice awards. Mack Falls won that thing every year, and always second best was So Random. But that changed that year, and that meant that So Random got all the special privileges. It was weird enough for both of us, and it made us uncomfortable, but the rest of the Randoms loved it, and I was happy for them. Chad... he was trying to help in his own way, but what he ended up doing was to take away the award from So Random. He ordered a recount on the votes, and it turned out that Mack Falls won after all. Things were back to normal as far as that goes, but that was what snapped our relationship."

Lacey frowned. "I'm sorry. Breakups that happen on bad terms are never easy."

"No, they're not," Sonny sighed. "But it's been two years. I should be over it by now."

Lacey shrugged. "That stuff takes time, and sometimes wounds like that reopen."

"I just… I wanted the Randoms to be happy. And they were so happy when they thought we had won the Tween Choice Award. In the end, it was either I choose Chad and turn my back on my friends, or I break it off with Chad and still have my friends' backs. He thought about him and the Falls cast, not us and the Randoms." A moment of silence hung after her words, followed by, "So, now you know."

Lacey nodded. "I take back what I said earlier. That wasn't harsh, that was generous." Sonny merely shrugged, and Lacey continued, "So yeah. Sorry about that. But you know, I've got your back."

Sonny smiled a bit. "Thanks."


End file.
